


Nothing Can Tear Us Apart

by AveryWinchester



Category: Gifted (Movie 2017), chris evans actor - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Possible Miscarriage, Smut, Unplanned Pregnancy, mentions of drug use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 16:13:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15732933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AveryWinchester/pseuds/AveryWinchester
Summary: Based on the movie Gifted. Frank Adler and his Wife!Reader are raising his gifted sever year old niece, Mary.





	1. Don't Tell Mary

[ ](http://deanssweetcherrypie.tumblr.com/image/164897415610)

  
You had woken up to the slight sound of arguing. Groaning, you peered, through one eye, over at the digital clock on the nightstand. The current time reading, _6:22 AM_ , which meant you only had a mere three hours of sleep.

 

Yawning, you peel the blanket from your body, standing to your feet. With blurred vision, you eyed your surroundings in search for the pair of pajama shorts that you carelessly threw off, before tiredly climbing into bed this morning. You finally found them tucked on the other side of your nightstand and slipped them on with ease.

Another yawn escaped your lips, as you made your way into the kitchen to see Frank, who was leaning against the kitchen counter. He was in the middle of chastising his seven year old niece, Mary, who is sulking at the tiny kitchen table.

“… and lower your voice, please. **[Your Name]** is trying to sleep.” You heard Frank tell Mary, as you made your appearance.

“Too late.” For the third time, you yawned, walking up to your husband of 2 ½ years, placing a chaste kiss on his bearded cheek.

“Babe,” he sighed heavily, “why aren’t you still asleep?”

“Well,” you eyed your husband and step-niece, “I heard you and Mary having a heated discussion. What’s going on?”

“See what you did?!” Frank scolded her over his shoulder, before turning back to you offering you a cup of coffee that he just made.

“I didn’t do anything.“ The blonde girl snapped at her uncle, before turning back to her soggy cereal.

You shook your head amused by this. This was a typical day in the Alder household. Only this time Mary was refusing to attend her first day of school. You and Frank had raised this little girl to the best of your ability, before you both decided it was best that she tried her hand at a normal school.

You grabbed the cup of hot caffeine from Frank’s grasp, trying not to gag at the pungent smell. Coffee, lately had not been sitting well with you for the past week. But you still accepted it, not wanting to raise alarming questions that you will soon have the answer to.

You made your way over to Mary, setting your cup next to her, and squatting to her level. “Mary, what’s wrong, sweetie?”

The seven year old turned her big blue eyes at you. “Can you please tell Frank that I don’t want to go to school?”

“And why don’t you want to go?” You ran your hand through her shoulder length blonde hair.

“Because,” she huffed, “I just I don’t want to. Can’t I stay home with you guys? I mean, who is going to take care of Fred?”

You looked at Frank, who looked at you over his shoulder and then went back to the task of making Mary’s lunch. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

“Mary,” you turned back to her, “listen to me, ok. Your uncle Frank and I think that school could be helpful to you. We think it’s time you make some friends your own age. I promise you, it won’t be as bad as you think.”

Again, she rolled her eyes and turned back to her cereal.

“Alright, Mary, let’s go.”

Mary angrily stood up for her chair, and grabbed her backpack. As she and Frank headed to the door, she stopped and turned back to you.

“If he offers to make you a _special_ breakfast, don’t be fooled. It’s just cereal.” Mary said snippy, before Frank rushed her out of the house.

You giggled, now sitting in Mary’s unoccupied seat. You looked up at Frank, who mouthed ‘don’t laugh at her’, while giving you a wink and taking Mary out of the door.

“Have a good day, Mary.” You yelled right as the door slammed closed.

You sighed heavily, looking down at your untouched coffee and Mary’s and bowl cereal, and gagged at both. The smell was nauseating. You got up to the sink to wash the dishes left behind when your stomach rolled.

Before you could finish, you bolted to the tiny, cramped bathroom, throwing up last night’s dinner. Your stomach gave and gave until there was nothing left to give. When you were finally done, you rinsed your mouth out and headed back towards the kitchen just in time to hear your neighbor, Roberta, threaten your husband.

“Tell your husband to get it together. Good morning, Fred.” Roberta said, rolling her eyes and stormed out of your home.

“ _O..k_.” You whispered, looking over at your husband who was back to leaning on the counter. “Why was Roberta threatening you this time?”

“About letting Mommy go to school.” He said looking down at his feet and then back at you. “You think I made the right decision? Letting Mary go to school?”

You reached up to cup his face gently in your hands. “Of course I do. I didn’t know your sister, but some of things you have told me, she would have wanted this for Mary. For her to have an actual childhood.“

“Thank you.” He leaned forward and placed his mouth against yours in a slow, endearing kiss.

You sighed, immediately wrapping your arms around his neck, as his arms gripped your waist. The kiss deepening, his tongue slowly caressing against yours.

You were the first to finally pull away, and he groaned in frustration.

“Why did you stop?” He whispered, kissing you again.

“Because,” you whispered, pulling away again, “you’re gonna be late for work.”

Another frustrated groan fell from his lips, as he shoved his face in your neck. “Fuck work. I don’t wanna go.”

You giggled softly at your husband’s barely audible words, keeping your arms wrapped around his neck. “Well, this sounds familiar. Like uncle, like niece, huh?”

He finally pulled back, his blue eyes glaring at you playfully. “I have social skills. It got you, didn’t it?” He joked, flinching as the back of your hand hit him in the gut.

“That’s rude.” You gave him a smirk.

“You love me.” He shrugged.

“Sometimes I wonder why.” You played with the hem of his white T-shirt, to pull him toward you.

“Because, you can’t resist me.” He came back willingly, boxing you in against the counter. He reached up to cup the back of your head, bringing your mouth to his and kissing you. Hard.

“Right.” You said in between kisses. “What did that girl call you at the bar the other night?” You nuzzled your face in his beard, running your hands underneath his t-shirt, feeling the bumps and grooves of his well-defined abs. “The _quiet, damaged, hot guy_?” You kissed his neck.

Another groan fell from his beautiful mouth. “Don’t start nothing if you aren’t gonna finish it.” His crystal blue eyes looked down at you.

“Who says I’m not gonna finish?” You whispered, reaching to unbuckle his belt.

And then it all happened in a blur. Frank brought your mouth back to his in another heated, searing kiss. All tongue and teeth. He hoisted you on the kitchen counter, and you parted your legs to let him in.

His lips trailed from your jawline to your neck, as your hands reached down to finish unbuckling his jeans. Once they were unzipped, they pooled to his ankles, and you could feel his erection straining against the black boxer briefs around his narrow hips.

He cupped your jaw, kissing your mouth fervently. You reached inside his briefs, and pulled out his hard cock, your tiny fist giving his girthy length a few strokes.

“ _Fuck_.” He grunted against your lips, his hands quickly grabbing onto your waist, and squeezing tightly.

“You like that, baby?” You whispered placing a kiss on his ear, his forehead resting in the crook of your neck. “You like my hand on your cock?”

“ _God yes_.” He strained.

After a few more tugs, he released his grip on your hips, and pushed your hand away from him. He then helped relieved you of your shirt, tossing it over his shoulder, and attaching his mouth to a puckered nipple. His other hand, reaching for your untouched breast, knead it desperately. His tongue swirled softly around your areola, before his teeth clamped gently down on your nipple.

You mewled, running your fingers through his dark hair, as your toes curled, feeling yourself becoming more aroused.

He began kissing your mouth again, this time helping you out of your shorts and panties, and his fingers instantly finding its way through your wet folds. His index finger circled around your clit, as his middle finger dipped inside, spreading your wetness around.

You gasped into his mouth, his deftly fingers playing you like violin. His middle finger still pumping in and out of you, while his index rubbed slow, tight circles.

“ _Shit_.” You muttered, feeling your body start to shake.

“You close, baby girl?” He questioned, rubbing just a bit faster.

You nodded, unable to form words, while pulling your arm tighter around his neck, feeling that coil in your belly threatening to explode.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful.” He whispered in your ear, continuing his ministrations.

As you were just on the cusp of that mind shattering orgasm, he immediately pulled back. Gripping your hips, he didn’t miss a beat, impaling you on his cock, deliciously stretching your body to its limit.

He stayed still for a moment, letting you adjust to this intrusion, as he cupped your jaw.

“Look at me, baby.” He commanded, and you did what he said, staring at him with a hazy vision. He kissed your open mouth, once, then twice, and he slowly started to move his hips.

As he continued to kiss you, he steadily pounded in and out of your core, hitting that spot that only he could. You wrapped your leg around his waist and held on for dear life.

Nothing but the sound of your labored breathing, skin slapping, and whispered “I love yous” could be heard in the unusually quiet kitchen. And before you knew it that coil in your lower belly begin to tighten again.

“You almost there, baby?” He questioned, pistoning his hips a little harder. Every time his pelvis hit your clit that coil tightened a little more, your pussy starting to spasm. “Fuck, yeah you are. I can feel you, fuck, so tight and wet.”

He thrusted into you once more and you screamed his name, your body shaking and convulsing, as your orgasm tore through you like a fucking tornado. He then gave two more hard thrust, his hips stilled and you felt his warmth flooding you.

“I can’t feel my legs right now.” After a couple seconds of silence, you finally mutter. You were breathing hard, still feeling the aftershocks of your orgasm.

Frank chuckled softly, also trying to catch his breath. He kissed you softly, before slowly pulling out of you, and you whimpered at the sudden loss.

You watched through hazy vision, as your husband tucked his now soft dick back into his underwear, and then pulling up his jeans, but not zippening them.

He then reached down to the floor and picked up your discarded shirt, and helped you back into it.

You let out a little giggle, and he looked back at you, hands on his hips and a smirk on his face. “What’s so funny?”

“You’re definitely late for work now.”

He laughed, stepping in between your legs, grabbing your jaw with one hand. “Totally _fucking_ worth it though.” He popped a kiss on your lips.

“Totally _fucking_ Worth it.“ You agreed, leaning into kiss him again.

As your kiss deepened, Frank caught you off guard, grabbing you by the waist. You squealed as he lifted you from the counter, taking you into your shared bedroom, and dropping you on your unmade bed.

He slowly crawled up your body, leaning over you, and dropped another kiss on your lips, making sure to keep his weight off of you.

“Does this mean you’re playing hooky and staying in bed with me all day?” You shoved your hand underneath his T-shirt running your fingers up and down his smooth back.

He dropped another kiss on you and then smiled. “Just don’t tell Mary.“ He kissed you again.

“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.” You giggled, pulling your husband’s mouth down to yours in a searing kiss.


	2. Disrupting Mary

The sound of your house phone startled you awake. Craning your neck, you looked over at the clock and realized that only a couple of hours had passed you and Frank had finally tired yourselves out, and fell asleep . It was very rare that you and Frank had this much alone time, with raising a seven year old. So you definitely took advantage of it. Over and over and over again.

You groaned, trying to move, but realized that your husband’s large arm was lying across your stomach, pinning you to the bed.

As the phone continued to ring, you gently lifted Frank’s arm off of you, sliding out of bed, and grabbing the sheet to wrap around your naked body.

You giggled softly at your husband’s pale backside, now exposed, as he still laid sleeping on his stomach.

You finally made your way of the room, leaving the door slightly, ajar - you never knew when Roberta was gonna barge into your home unannounced. The last thing you wanted her was her to see Frank’s ass.

Walking into the living room, you picked up the white cordless phone. “Hello?”

“ _Is this the Adler residence_?”

“Yes, this is.” You answered confused. “May I ask who’s calling?”

The woman on the other end told you that she was the secretary to the principal at Mary’s school, and that Mary was currently in her office.

“Oh, my God. Is she alright?”

“ _She’s perfectly fine, Mrs. Adler. We are just having some trouble with her disrupting the class_.”

Seriously? You were afraid that something like this might happen. “Disrupting the class?”

“ _Yes, we can explain everything if you or Mr. Adler or even the both of you could come have a talk with us please_?”

You sighed heavily, pushing your hair back from your face, feeling a migraine coming on. “My husband and I will be there as soon as we can.”

Once you placed the phone back on its receiver, you trailed, a trail of sheet behind you, back into your bedroom, you saw that Frank was still in the same spot. His head was just turned the opposite way.

“Frank?” You called out, and he didn’t move. “Frank?” You called out again, this time shaking the mattress with your foot.

Frank immediately popped his head up and peered one eye at you over his shoulder.

“There’s a problem.” You told him.

Now it was his turn to sigh heavily. He finally turned over and sitting up, running a hand across his tired face. “What’s going on?”

“It’s _Mary_ …”

Frank parked his pickup truck along the curbside of Mary’s school. He told you to wait in the car while he went inside to handle the situation.

When he returned nearly twenty minutes later, he had Mary with him, along with someone else. A woman, with dark curly hair, olive toned features, and a pointed nose, followed, well more like chased Frank down until he stopped to acknowledge her presence.

You kept a close eye on the woman. You didn’t exactly miss the way her face lit up when he smiled at her. You knew that smile. It was his _it’s nice to meet you but I got better things_ to do smile. Of course she didn’t pick up on it.

Your thoughts were immediately disrupted when your door was suddenly opened, and you recognized the pint sized blonde at your side.

“Hey, Y/N.” Mary smiled, giving you a huge wave, as if she hadn’t been in the wrong for her actions today.

“Mary,” you climbed out of the truck to let her slide into her usual spot, in between you and Frank. “So, I here you were quite the troublemaker today?” You folded your arms across your chest, raising an eyebrow.

Mary shrugged, prodding her blonde hair behind her ear. “I told you not to make me go to school. It was completely pointless. One _plus_ one? _Really_? And I still don’t know what **at nauseam** means.”

You knew you should have, but you let out a tiny chuckle, looking back over at Frank and the woman. Your stomach clench a little.

“Mary, who’s that?” You asked, not breaking your attention away from your husband and the mysterious woman.

Mary peered over the dashboard and huffed. “That’s my teacher, Ms. Stevenson.” She stressed. “You think he’s gonna be mad at me?”

“ _Yep_.” You quickly answered, still not taking your eyes off of them.

“ _Bonnie_.” You heard Frank say, as he shoved his sunglasses back on his face, walking back to the truck.

You quickly hopped back in the truck, slightly shoving Mary over to get to your spot, before Frank got in himself. He eyed you warily and then looked down at his niece. He looked none too happy. As he started up the truck, Mary looked back at you and you mouthed ‘ _I told you so’_. She rolled her big blue eyes at you.

And for that you asked, “So, Mary, what exactly did you do today that got you sent to the principal’s office?”

She huffed, folding her arms across her chest, before muttering. “I yelled at my teacher.” Then she turned to her uncle. “Frank, I’m sorry.”

“Mhmm.” Frank hummed, completely ignoring Mary’s apology.

Oh, yeah, he was pissed.

“Are you really not going to talk to me?” Mary asked him, desolately.

“Nope.” He answered with a pop of his ‘p’.

Then her big blue eyes, much like her Uncle’s, turned to you, begging for help. “Y/N?”

“Don’t bring her into this.” Frank spoke before you could. “You know what you did, Mary. It was wrong plain and simple.”

“But I’m really sorry.” Mary whine, and you almost felt a little bad for her.

But Frank, again, said nothing, as he continued down the street.

* * *

As soon as the three of you walked through the door, Frank muttered something about going to work, dropped a kiss on your forehead, and stormed out of your house.

“He’s really mad at me, huh?” Mary asked you as soon as Frank slammed the front door closed.

“Yeah,” you nodded, “he is.”

She turned to you sadly. “I said I was sorry. Are you mad at me too?” She stomped over to the kitchen table and plopped down.

You sighed heavily, making your way over to her, and kneeling to her level. “I’m not mad, Mary. I’m more,” you paused trying to find the right words, “ _disappointed_.” You cupped your hands underneath her jaw, using your thumbs to wipe her falling tears. “Listen, just go change, and I’ll make you lunch.

“Ok,” again, she huffed, stalking off to the find something more comfortable than looking like a disney princess. Or so you heard her say to Frank earlier this morning.

Lunch was made, and mary was enjoying her plate of boxed mac and cheese with sliced hot dogs. You were making your husband a couple of sandwiches, so Mary could take him a peace offering.

Once she was done, you handed her Frank’s lunch, told her to be careful when heading toward the dock behind your house, and sent her on her way.

After cleaning the kitchen, you retreated to the bathroom. Rummaging through the cabinet, hidden in your box of tampons. You pulled out a pregnancy test, the cardboard casing long gone, as to not alert Frank on something that might not even be real.

You stared at it, inquisitively, trying to fight the urge to not throw it back in your box of tampons. You carefully read the instructions on the colorfully pink and white aluminum cover, you released a deep breath and finally closed the bathroom door.

Well, here goes nothing…


	3. Mama Adler

It had been a couple of weeks since Mary’s first incident at  school.  Yes, there had been another.  Mary had stood up for a kid in her classroom when he was being bullied, and it got a bit physical.  Let’s just say that kid won’t be bullying anybody else for the time being.  While you and Frank were actually pretty pleased with Mary’s actions, the school and the principal, of course, frowned upon it.

You and Frank, together as a united parental front, fought against said principal when she insisted that you send Mary to a school for the gifted.  Mary was unbelievably smart, yes, but she needed more out of life than spending her time in a stuffy classroom working on math problems all day.  You and Frank wanted for her to have actual social interactions with kids her age.  Frank knew that was what his sister, Diane, wanted. 

You also hadn’t miss the look of guilt stricken look on Ms. Stevenson’s face when Mary’s principal chewed the two of you out that day.

Another week had gone by, and while your husband was picking Mary up from another uneventful day at school. You had found yourself in nesting mode.

Nearly three weeks ago, the home pregnancy test you took, along with one discrete trip to your gynecologist office, proved that you were in fact pregnant.  14 weeks to be exact.  You and Frank were to be parents to a kid of your own, and you had no idea how to handle it.

Of course, telling Frank would be first priority, but with everything happening with Mary and school, both yours and Frank’s jobs, it had been kind of hard.

You figured that tonight was as good as any to finally come clean to your husband.  You already asked Roberta if she could watch Mary for the night, which she jumped at the chance.  You also had a roast, Frank’s favorite, simmering in the oven, along with his favorite beer chilling in the fridge.

As you went to check on the roast, removing Fred from the counter, you heard a knock at your front door.  That was strange.  You wondered who could have been at your door.  The only visitors you ever got was Roberta, and she had her own key.

Drying your now washed hands, you headed to the door and checked the peephole.  You saw a woman, an older woman, you had never seen before, standing on the other side, you reluctantly opened the door.

The woman, very well dressed and poised, stood opposite of you.  She looked a little lost, warily eyeing her surroundings, while holding a silk handkerchief under her nose.

She definitely looked out of place and didn’t belong there.

“Hi,” you began leaning against the frame of the door, “can I help you?”

She finally looked at you, and you could almost see the disgust flash across her face.  “Yes, is Frank Adler Home?”

Her English accent nearly caught you off guard.  “Um, he’s not in right now.  May I ask who you are?”

Again he face read of disapproval.  “My name is Evelyn.  I’m his mother.”

 _Ho-lee_ shit.

* * *

 

Frank told you about his mother when you first started dating, and with the way he described her, you really didn’t care to meet her at all.  But she was here, sitting in your living room, as you paced back and forth like a madwoman in your bedroom.  Phone glued to your ear, as you desperately tried to get hold of your husband, who had decided now was the perfect time to not answer his phone.

“Frank pick the hell up. It’s urgent!”  You seethed, your husband’s answering machine picking up again.

Tossing your phone on the bed, you pulled yourself together as much as you could and headed back out to the living room to see Frank’s mom sitting awkwardly on your couch.

Fred decided at that time to surprise your mother in law, by jumping onto the coffee table.  She slightly tilted back, letting out a delicate sneeze.

You quickly made your way over, grabbing Fred from the coffee table.  “Allergic to cats?”

“I’m afraid so.”  She sneered, standing to her feet.

You awkwardly held Mary’s one eyed ginger cat, as he squirmed in your arms trying to get himself free.

“Can I get you anything?  Coffee?  Tea?  Water?”

“That won’t be necessary.”  She shook her head, dabbing her nose with the handkerchief.  “You know what?  You said Frank was on his way, I’ll just wait for him outside.”  And before you could protest, your front door slammed shut.

Well, that was one way to meet your mother in law.

Fred still squirmed in your arms, and you finally let him down.  You then raced over to window, opening the blinds.  Frank’s mom was standing on the porch, handkerchief back under her nose, as she straightened out her expensive looking tan skirt.

Just then Frank’s truck pulled up in front of your house.  You watched, as he and Mary stepped out and approached her with caution.

* * *

 

Evelyn Adler was everything Frank described her to be; brilliant, crass, and _very_ British.

She barely spoke to you, let alone looked your way, as she mostly spent her time with Mary.  Frank watched on, eyeing you every couple of seconds as you hid in the kitchen.

As you stirred a pot of seasoned veggies on the stove, you felt a pair of thick arms slink around your waist, followed by a pair of soft lips gently caressing your temple.

“Hi,” Frank breathed in your ear.

You removed your spoon from your pot and placed it on a clean dish towel, before turning in his arms.

“Hi,” you smiled, throwing your arms around his neck.

“It smells good in here.  What’s the occasion?”  He questioned, his calloused fingers running gently across your jawline.

You shrugged, rubbing your fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck.  “Just cause.”

“I missed you today.”  Frank gave you a small smirk, leaning forward.  Just as his mouth was to connect with yours, you heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.

You and Frank quickly pulled apart and found Evelyn standing before you, looking even more disapproving than earlier.

“I’m on my way out.”  She spoke in a curt manner, before walking away.

Frank then turned back to you, whispering “I’m sorry” in your ear, before trailing behind his mother.

* * *

 

**Frank’s POV**

Frank casually walked his mother out of the house and to her expensive rental.  They barely spoke two words to each other until the moment they reached her car.  Evelyn stopped and turned a disappointed eye toward her son.

“That woman,” Evelyn began snootily.

But Frank cut her off, “her name is Y/N.”

“Does it matter?”  She retorted.

“Actually, Evelyn, it does.”  Frank gave a dry chuckle, not pleased that his mother came all the way here to insult the woman he loves.

Evelyn peered her eyes at Frank.  She thought she had raised him better than this.  But he was his father’s son.  “Do you think it is wise to have a woman like that around Mary?”

“A woman like what?”  Frank growled, irritated.  “Smart?  Beautiful?  Kind?  Loves Mary like her own and would lay down her own life for her?  Y/N was nothing but nice to you in there, when you and I both know you don’t deserve it.”

Evelyn scoffed, rolling her eyes.  “How do you expect me to react when you continue to bring trollops around my granddaughter Frank?”

Now it was Frank’s turn scoff.  “A granddaughter you haven’t seen in seven years, no less.  But let’s make one thing clear, Evelyn.  The next time you want to show up at my house unannounced, _don’t_.  And never insult my wife again.”  He spat, turning heel and walking back to the house.

Evelyn stood by her car, in shock, as her son disappeared from her sight.

* * *

 

A few days later, since Frank’s mom’s drive-by visit, things had been quite tense around the Adler residence. When Frank stormed in the house, he refused to tell you what he and Evelyn talked about.  Instead, he just grabbed his tools and walked back out.

You and Mary were left to enjoy the meal you had planned for you and Frank, and your secret had been put on yet another hold.

You had just pulled up to the house after another long, exhausting night at Fergusons, when you noticed that Frank’s truck was missing.  Parking your card, you turn off the engine to your car and stepped out.  You cursed to yourself silently when you saw Roberta approaching you.

“Good morning, Roberta.”  You deadpanned, not wanting to deal with her, as the child growing inside you was turning your insides.  You just wanted to lay in bed for the rest of the day.

“Well, you look like hell.”  She commented, following you up the stairs to your front door.

“Managing a busy bar will do that to you.”  You told her irritably, shoving your key in the lock.

“It’s not just the bar, is it?”  She questioned over your shoulder.

You rolled your eyes, annoyed and turned to her.  “What do you want, Roberta?  As you can see Frank ain’t here.”

“I know that.”  She snapped.  “I had my own choice words with your husband today.”

The feeling in your stomach churned even more.  Damn this morning sickness.  “Then why are you here now?”

Roberta didn’t have time to answer when a vehicle with the **Pinellas County Sheriff's Office** displayed on the side door, pulled up in front of your house.

An older gentleman dressed in the sheriff's department uniform stepped out and approached you and Roberta.

“Good morning, ladies.”  The man tipped his hat.  “Is this the Adler residence?”

“Yes,” you hesitated, heart dropping into the pit of your stomach, “this is.  Is everything okay?”

You thought the worst had happened. Maybe something happened to Frank. Or Mary.

The officer didn’t answer you, but just handed you an envelope.  “Mrs. Adler, you have been served.”  He told you, before walking back to his vehicle and driving off.

You snatched open the envelope and your heart sank even further. Evelyn was suing you and Frank for official custody of Mary.


End file.
